Straight-bar knitting machine



April 20, 1937. H. w. START 2,077,778

SIRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 20, 1937. I START 2,077,778

STRAIGHT BAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented/Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRAIGHT-BAR xm'r'rme MACHINE Harry Wilfred Start,.Nottingham, England, as-- signor to George Blackburn and Sons Limited,

Nottingham, England Application September 4, 1936, Serial No. 99,473

- In Great Britain September, 3, 1935 4 Claim.

required to produce full fashioned and reinforced garments such for example as stockings, whereby the personal attention required and the manual adjustments which have-to be made, are" reduced to the minimum,

changes which have to be made, are effected by moving the antifriction rollers in connection with the operating cams laterally on the axles of the cam levers associated with the cams. The antifriction" roller in connection with each cam is by this action transferred from the normal cam on to another one at the side of it, or transferred on to a plain disc. In one case the movements of the member in the machine actuated by the cam is modified, whilst in the other case the said member is left at rest. Certain adjustments have also to be made in the thread carrier mechanism from time to time, and these adjustments are at present mainly eifectedby hand. v Y

The primary controlling mechanism usually employed consists of an endless chain fitted at intervals with rows of studs. This chain is mounted on sprocket wheels and is advanced by ratchet 30 and pawl mechanism, whereby the studs in each row are caused to act on levers in succession, and

eifect through further mechanism, the adjustment of the various parts of the machinewhich are necessary at the correct periodsin'the course 35 of knitting a, garment. This controlling mechanism is sometimes called the counting mechanism, as it effects each of the necessary changes after a predetermined number of courses have been knitted, and ensuresthat 40 the whole of the garments produced are identical. The controlling mechanism described is in a machine which is only designed to knit stocking legs, adapted to effect all the necessary changes. required, but in a machine which is adapted to 45 knit a complete leg and foot, the changes that the necessary changes is considerable, such for w example as that required to adjust the anti-fric- The major portion of the most important tio'n rollers in connection with the operating cams on the main cam shaft, mechanical means which are controlled by electro-magnets are employed,

and the arrangement constitutes an electro-mechanical unit which is provided in connection with each cam roller that has to be adjusted from time to timel Where on the other-hand little power is required to effect the required adjustment, electro-magnetsare used the armature of which may be directly connected to the memher which has to be adjusted. The current is switched on to each of the electro-magnets employed at the proper time, by means of a current distributor which takes the form of a series of electrical switches, which are controlled by lifts on a drum, which latter is advanced at intervals by ratchet and pawl mechanism controlled by the primary controlling or counting mechanism, and each electro-magnet is thus excited and the necessary adjustment automatically made at the proper time during the course of knitting a garment. The invention will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in. which Fig. 1 is a verticalsection taken across a knitting machine of the Cotton type to which the invention is applied I Fig. 2 is a front elevation of part of the machine v Fig. 3 is a front elevation, and

Fig. 4 an end elevationof oneof the electromechanical units which are employed.

' Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section, and

Fig. 6 a front view of one end of the electric current distributing mechanism I Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive are drawn to a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings. Y

In carrying out this invention, the electric current distributing'device consists of a series of switches A (see Figs. 5 and 6) which are controlled by a series of lifts B arranged round the periphery of a drum B, and these lifts B are adapted to close the switches A in the required order asthe drum B is advanced. The switches A are disposed in the electric circuits of the electromagnets employed, and the said magnets are therefore controlled by the disposition of the lifts B onthe drum B, and the means which control axle B, is controlled by a blufilng disc or member C, which is mounted on the axle B- and is adjusted so as to put the pawl G into and out of This pawl C which is carried by an arm C mounted on the action as required, by a connection with the primary controlling mechanism that will be hereinafter described. The drum B is therefore mainly at rest, and is only advanced when a change has to be made, and it will beunderstood that this drum B like the primary controlling mechanism, makes a series of advancing movements which are completed at the same time as those of the primary controlling mechanism, and is ready to commence a repeat at the same time as the latter.

The arm C which carries the pawl C is connected by a link C to a lever C which is actuated by a cam C on the cam shaft D. The blufilng disc or member C is on the other hand connected to a lever E associated with the primary controlling mechanism E by the following arrangement.

A shaft E mounted in bearings in the fixed frame, is fitted with an arm E which engages with the lever E associated with the primary controlling mechanism E, and another arm E on this shaft E is connected by a link E to the blumng disc or member C The latter is thus adjusted by studs on the endless pattern chain which forms the primary controlling mechanism E.

The employment of electro-magnets alone would necessitate the use of very powerful current to excite them and the current would have to be sustained for some time. There would also be the risk of failure at times, as none of the movements would be positive, and in order to remove these objections, mechanical means associated with electrically operated magnets are employed.

Mechanical means may for instance be employed to move the required members from their normal positions, and catches controlled by electro-magnets be employed for holding the required members in the new positions, but in the preferred arrangement which is shown in the drawings, the reverse arrangement is adopted, that is, a me-'- chanical arrangement which is adapted to effect the required movement is put into action by exciting an electro-magnet associated therewith, and the member when moved is then held by a locking arrangement which is adapted to be released by putting the mechanical arrangement into action a second time, a result which is effected by exciting the electro-magnet again with this system, electro-mechanical units can be provided to adjust .each cam roller or other part which are not only compact, but can be disposed in a position where there is room for them, instead of being necessarily disposed close to th adjustable member which they control.

One of these units is shown detached in Figs;

' 4 and 5 and is constructed as follows:-

A shaft G which is mounted in hearings in the fixed frame and is permanently geared to and runs at the same speed as the main cam shaft D, is. fitted with a face cam H, and associated with this cam is a cam lever J which is adapted to move about and slide on a fixed shaft K, which latter is carried on the fixed frame above and parallel to the shaft G. The lever J can be turned about the shaft K, in order to move the anti-friction roller J on its lower end from its normal position in which it is shown, into the path of the cam rise H on the side of the cam H. The lever J is for this purpose connected by an arm L to H and the lever J is then consequently moved by the said cam H along the fixed s aft K, to the right as seen in Fig. 3.

M} is mounted loosely in its upper end and in the A second sliding member M is disposed on the fixed shaft K at the right of the arm J, and a rod upper end of a fixed member M on the shaft K. The member M is connected to the fixed member M by a spring M and the member M is connected to the rod M by a spring M. This member M and the rod M are moved by the lever J against the action of the spring M and the rod M which is connected as will be hereinafter described to a cam roller, will move the latter from its normal position, but this movement is not positive, owing to the connection between the member M and the rod M being only effected by the spring M so that the timing of the said movement is not critical, as it would otherwise have to be, as there is only one position of the cams where the movement of the roller can be efiected. With the arrangement described the movement can be started well in advance, and the spring M will effect the final movement of the cam relief as soon as the position of the cams will permit of this taking place.

' Land the said roller thereon is then moved clear of the cam H by a spring J whilst the member M and rod M are retained in the position to which they have been moved by the cam H, by means of a locking arrangement which will now be described.

, Secured to the fixed shaft K is a locking plate N with an upper race N and a lower race N, which latter starts out of the upper race N at the end of the latter which is nearest to the member M. The other ends of the two races are connected by an inwardly curved part N and a pivoted switch N which is actuated by a spring N is disposed at the junction of the two races, and this switch N normally closes the entrance to the lower race N Above the locking plate N described is a fixed pivot 0 which is carried by a bracket 0 secured on the fixed shaft K, and a locking member P with a' stud P at its lower end and a slot P at its upper end, is disposed with the stud at its lower end normally in the near end of the upper race N in the locking plate N, and its upper slotted end on the fixed pivot 0. An intermediate point in the locking member P is connected by means of a link P to the member M, and one end of a spring P is connected to the locking member P and tends to pull it down. The other end of the spring P is connected to the locking plate N.

The action of this arrangement is as follows:- When the member M is moved to the right as previously described, the stud P at the lower end of the locking member P travels along the upper race N in the locking plate N, until it reaches the outer end, and it is then drawn down into the inwardly curved part of therace N"- by the action of the spring P on the member P and the spring M which .tends to return the member M back to its normal position. The stud P is then held in the said curved race N by the action of the two springs P and M and locks the member M and the rod M in the position to which they have been moved by the cam H.

In order to release the member M, the electromagnet is excited again so as to bring the roller J on the cam lever J into the path of the cam I-I again, and the said lever J and member M are then moved far enough to the right to cause the stud P on the locking member P to move down into the lower race N'- in the locking plate N, and the stud P is then free to travel back along this lower race N when the cam lever J is released by the cam H, and further permits of the return of the member M at the same is effected by the spring M The stud P on the member P is on its outward movement directed along the upper race N in the locking plate N by the pivoted switch N and the latter is tripped by the stud P when it returns along the lower race N The return movement of the member M also effects the return movement of the rod M as it then engages with a collar M fixed on the said rod.

The rod M is as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 connected by means of a bracket Q to a rod Q which is carried along the front of the machine in guide plates Q and this rod is fitted with an arm Q which engages with the anti-friction roller KQ on the cam lever Q and the movement obtained from the electro-mechanical unit described, is

' thus transmitted to and adapted to adjust the said roller Q in register with either one or the other of the two cams Q shown in Fig. 2.

Only one electro-mechanical unit and one cam roller is shown, but it will be understood that a similar arrangement will be provided in connection with each cam roller or other part which has to be adjusted, and that the adjustment of each is effected by exciting the corresponding electromagnet and is automatically effected by the action of the current distributing arrangement previously described.

The advantages of the arrangement described are that only a moderate current is required to excite the electro-magnets, and this current is only on for a short time, so that not only is the current consumption very slight, but the electromagnets do not become overheated. The electromechanical units can be disposed in a convenient position and the rod M associated with each can be connected to its cam roller for instance by a longitudinal rod carried through the guide plates Q in the same manner as the arrangement shown.

What 'I claim is:--

1. In a straight-bar knitting machine, electromechanical means for automatically adjusting a cam roller or other adjustable part comprising in combination, a cam on a running shaft, a cam lever which can slide on its pivot and is also adjustable about the said pivot in order that its anti-friction roller which is normally clear of the cam can be moved into the path of the latter, an electro-magnet for effecting this movement when excited, a supplementary member which is moved at the same time as the cam lever, means for connecting this supplementary member to a cam roller or other member to be adjusted, means which are adapted to hold the secondary member in the position to which it is moved by the cam and subsequently releasing it by a second movement of the cam lever, and means for switching the current on to the electro-magnet at the required periods, substantially as described. 2. In a straight-bar knitting machine, electromechanical means for automatically adjusting a cam roller or other adjustable part comprising time, a result which in combination, a cam on a running shaft, a'cam lever which isslidable on and also adjustable about its axle, an electro-magnet for moving the cam lever about its axle so as to adjust its antifriction roller in the path of the cam, a supplementary member on the cam lever axle which is moved at the same time as and by the cam lever, means for connecting this supplementary member to the cam roller or otheradjustable member, means-for holding the supplementary member in the position to which it is moved by the camconsisting of a locking member which is connected to the supplementary member and has its upper slotted end working on a fixed pin and a stud at its lower end working in upper and lower races in a fixed locking plate so disposed that the stud moves along one race and is then held until it is directed into the lower race by a second movement of the supplementary member, and

means for switching the current on to the electrodescribed.

3. In a straight-bar knitting machine, electromechanical means for automatically adjusting a cam roller or other part in a machine comprising in combination, a cam on a running shaft, a cam lever which can slide on and also turn about the axle on which it is disposed and is normally inoperative, an electro-magnet which has its armature connected to the said cam lever and is adapted when excited to adjust the roller on the said lever in the path of thecam so that it is moved along its axle, a spring returned-supplementary member which is disposed at the side of and is moved by the cam lever, non-positive means for connecting the supplementary member to the cam roller or other adjustable part, a locking member towhich the supplementary member is connected by a link-and said member having a slotted end which is disposed on a fixed pivot and a stud at its other end, a locking plate with upper and lower races in which the said stud works, said races both starting from one point and having their outer ends connected, by an inwardly curved part which holds the stud, a switch at the start of the lower races so as to direct the stud into the'upper race, a spring connected to the locking member which tends to move the stud out of the curved part into the lower race when the locking member is actuated a second time, and means for switching the current on to the electro-magnet, substantially as described.

4. In a straight-bar knittingv machine,' the combination of controlling the adjusting movements of certain adjustable members in the machine, electric switches disposed in the circuits of the said magnets, a drum with lifts ing the switches in the required order, a ratchet wheel on the axle of the said drum, a pawl for advancing the said ratchet wheel, means for actuating the said pawl, a bluffing member at the side of the ratchet wheel for controlling the pawl, and means for connecting this blufling member to a lever which is actuated by studs on the pattern chain which'comprisesthe primary controlling mechanism so that ,the latter controls the advancing movements of the switch closing drum,

"substantially as described.

a series of electro-magnets for disposed thereon for clos- 

